Dan Yashinsky
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dan Yashinsky, born in Detroit, is a Canadian author and storyteller.[1][2]
Dan Yashinsky | |
|---|---|
Dan Yashinsky, 2025 | |
| Born | |
| Occupation | Storyteller |
| Alma mater | University of California University of Toronto |
| Notable awards | Jane Jacobs's Prize, Chalmers Arts Fellowship |
| Website | |
| tellery | |
Born in Detroit, Dan Yashinsky was educated in Santa Barbara, then moved to Toronto at the age of 21.[2]
He studied at the College of Creative Studies of the University of California where he receive a bachelor's degree in literature followed by a master's degree in sociology and education at the University of Toronto.[1]
In 1978 he established Toronto's 1001 Friday Nights of Story Telling, considered to be the longest running open mic in North America.[2][3] In 1979 he established the Toronto Festival of Storytelling which he directed for four years.[4] He is also the cofounder of Storytelling Toronto, formerly known as the Storytellers School of Toronto.[5]
He created and hosted the CBC radio show "Talking Stick" in 1999.[1][5] In 2006 he collaborated with composer and musician Brian Katz to create a piece that addresses the experiences of neonatal intensive care units.[5] Their work, "Talking You In", was inspired by the three-week stay that Yashinsky's son, Jacob, spent in intensive care after his birth[6] and has been performed at hospitals and festivals around the world.[5]
A world renowned storyteller,[7] he has performed and taught the art of story telling at numerous festivals in Canada, The U.S., Asia and Europe.[5][8] He has also been a storyteller in residence for numerous institutions such as UNICEF Canada, Queen's University at Kingston, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care and many others.[5][9]
His inspiration derives from his Jewish, Turkish, Romanian, American and French heritages as well as his world travels.[3]
In 2018, Jacob Yashinsky-Zavitz, son of Dan Yashinsky and Carol Zavitz, died at age 26 following a car accident.[10][11]
Works
Story Collections
- Tales for an Unknown City : Stories from One Thousand and One Friday Nights of Storytelling, Montréal, McGill-Queen's University Press, 1990, 265 p. ISBN 0773507868.
- The Storyteller at Fault, Charlottetown, Ragweed Press, 1998, 254 p. ISBN 0921556292, 9780921556299.
- Suddenly They Heard Footsteps : Storytelling for the Twenty-First Century, Toronto, Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2004, 317 p. ISBN 0676975925.
- Swimming with Chaucer : A Storyteller's Logbook, London, Insomniac Press, 2013, 238 p. ISBN 9781554831098, 1554831091.
- At the Edge : A Book of Risky Stories, Charlottetown, Ragweed Press, 1998, 254 p. ISBN 0921556748, 9780921556749.
Collaborations
- Next Teller : A Book of Canadian Storytelling, Charlottetown/East Haven, Ragweed Press/Inland Book, 1994, 246 p. ISBN 0921556462, 9780921556466.
- Ghostwise: A Book of Midnight Stories, Charlottetown, Ragweed Press, 1997, 223 p. ISBN 0874834996, 9780874834994.
Other
- The Telling Project, Mississauga, Peel Board of Education, 1993, 47 p. ISBN 1550380672, 9781550380675.
Awards and honors
- 1999: Winner of the first Jane Jacobs's Prize.[1]
- 2009: Recipient of the Chalmers Arts Fellowship from the Ontario Arts Council.[1]
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